Laser diodes are used for various reasons and various industries. There are applications where a stable wavelength and a narrow line width are necessary. The use of gratings is the most common approach for the stabilization of these laser diodes.
Two known methods for the stabilization of laser diodes involve the use of: (1) a dispersive grating technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,975 (“the '975 patent”), and (2) a narrow line width holographic grating, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,989 (“the '989 patent”).
The advantages of the method described in the '975 patent are a narrow line width and greater stability than the method described in the '989 patent. The method described in the '989 patent has the benefit of the grating being in close contact to the laser diode, resulting in a smaller package.